


list of people (to try and forget about)

by saucefx



Category: Naruto
Genre: Child Neglect, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, oh shit it has pictures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 04:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18653203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saucefx/pseuds/saucefx
Summary: When Sasuke is eleven years old, a boy from his class dies.It’s underwhelming, considering what just happened to his family four years prior. Still, the kid that dies is ten at the time, and tied for the dumbest in his class. Sasuke is pretty sure his name starts with an N or something?Naruto.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> named after a tame impala song
> 
> the child neglect tag is more of a forewarning, if you've ever seen naruto then you know what to expect.
> 
> hope you enjoy!

When Sasuke is eleven years old, a boy from his class dies.

It’s underwhelming, considering what just happened to his family four years prior. Still, the kid that dies is ten at the time, and tied for the dumbest in his class. Sasuke is pretty sure his name starts with an N or something?

Naruto. He can clearly recall hearing the name being yelled by any and every adult within a thirty foot radius. Sasuke also remembers Naruto himself yelling his name at inappropriate times for attention. He was acting quiet when he died.

They were both leaving the classroom late, having stayed to watch a couple Genin students spar outside. Naruto didn’t say much at all, he looked a little sweatier than usual. It was the choking sound that clued Sasuke in. He turned, took one look at the panicked expression on Naruto’s face, and stepped closer to help.

Naruto coughed, gagged for a few seconds, and fell dead on the floor. Sasuke finds his own legs sealed to the floor, hands trembling, mouth dry. The silence is crushing, and the tiny body formerly known as Naruto doesn’t so much as twitch.

_What the fuck just happened?_

Sasuke crouches down and rests a hand on Naruto’s forehead. His chest isn’t moving at all but his forehead is burning and his face is slick with sweat. Naruto’s tan skin is flushed. Sasuke is so horrified his legs feel numb. Didn’t Iruka-sensei say that Naruto lives alone?

It’s not that Sasuke’s never thought about the fact that both him and Naruto live alone, it’s just that the information has never seemed relevant before this moment. Why did Naruto come to school? Why didn’t he seek help? He’s never had parents, everyone knows that he doesn’t understand how to ask for anything politely. Iruka-sensei holds Naruto back from class sometimes just to let him talk, everyone knows that too. Why didn’t an adult notice this?

Sasuke isn’t sure why he stays kneeling there for a minute instead of going to get help. It’s like when he first found Itachi and could barely move. Naruto’s hands are calloused and the weird scars on his cheeks have begun to glow.

Wait.

Sasuke yanks a kunai out of his belt when Naruto gasps for breath, thoroughly freaked out. Naruto doesn’t even seem to notice Sasuke, he just rolls over and starts spitting up watery bile onto the floor.

His chakra looks red right now, something that strikes Sasuke as completely wrong. Naruto can’t manifest chakra, Naruto fails every exam. He’s still in the academy for some reason, but so is that one girl (short-haired Neji)?

Naruto sobs, which startles Sasuke into looking closer. His eyes are bright red and slitted.

Of course this has somehow gotten weirder. Only in ninja school.

“Fuck,” Naruto groans, wiping at his face. He looks small right now, which concerns Sasuke more than anything else. He knows that he should go get an adult, but his first instinct is to investigate. Sasuke sheaths his kunai and walks forwards. It takes a moment for his voice to come out.

“Hey. What just happened?” Naruto regards him blearily and frowns, looking at where he tossed his lunch up on the floor.

“I felt really bad for some reason, did you see me pass out? Then I had a dream about this big furry guy who wanted me to let him out sometime in exchange for making me feel better.”

_Right,_ a little voice in his head sneers. _This is why nobody talks to Naruto._

“Did you say yes?” Sasuke resists the urge to pace. Uchihas do not show when they’re impatient.

“Yeah! And then I woke up and now I feel better.” Naruto blinks and looks up at him, eyes sharper than before. They’re back to their obnoxious blue and it’s oddly relieving. “Wait, Sasuke! You’re talking to me. Are we friends?”

Sasuke makes a loud ‘tch’ sound as Naruto clammers to his feet. It feels unnatural, but he can remember his mom doing it.

(Or maybe Itachi. Father, perhaps?)

“As if. Just seeing whether or not to call the nurse.”

Naruto’s face twists into a scowl, amusing and relieving all at once. There is something hilarious about such soft features turning so sour at the drop of a hat. Sasuke smirks, proud to be the one to cause this particular expression.

“Bastard.”

“Whatever. Didn’t anybody ever tell you to go to the hospital when you get that nauseous? Nobody’s going to take care of you.”

“Shut up! Like it’s my fault.” And Sasuke pauses because Naruto sounds so upset that it could almost be pitiful. Even someone like Sakura who scorns Naruto for being annoying would find this a little pathetic, Sasuke is sure of it.

“It is. You can’t just not take care of yourself because nobody does. Are you an idiot?” Naruto’s face is seated in a glare, and his arm moves up to swipe tears of frustration from his eyes.

Sasuke isn’t new to making people cry, but even he feels a little awkward about this one. Naruto is obviously on the verge of a emotional outburst, and Sasuke is ninety-nine percent sure that he just died and came back to life anyways. He wonders if there’s any references in the library to explain what the fuck he just saw.

“Dumbass. Go home and wash your sheets or something if you don’t feel sick any longer.” Sasuke reiterates, and turns to head out the door. Behind him, Naruto squawks in anger, but he’s already headed in the direction of the library.

They let Sasuke in with polite smiles and small-talk, both to which he doesn’t respond to. He does, however, ask where he can find the majority of their healing scrolls.

Hours of pouring through complex jutsus later and Sasuke is no closer to his goal than when he started. He considers giving up, forgetting about Dead last and studying something useful instead. At one point, Sasuke does get up and move around, restless as any young ninja should be.

The library is stocked with books, aisles upon aisles of unlabeled sections. Sasuke has hung around enough to recognize some, and he unfortunately recognizes the one he has entered to be the ‘Shitty Rom-com’ section. There’s a couple of adults in the corner browsing and a teenager reading on a bean bag chair.

The adults are civilians but the teenager has on a mask and a hitai-ate. His fluffy gray hair looks like a permanent cowlick, and his one visible eye scans the raunchy book he’s holding with no signs of interest.

Sasuke stands in front of the older teen until he glances up, his sprawled out and relaxed form a direct contrast to Sasuke’s crossed arms, tight stance.

“Aren’t you a little young for these kinds of books?” The stranger drawls, instantly warranting even more of Sasuke’s disdain. It seems as though the boy knows it too, because he sits up, tilting his head ever-so-slightly to the side. “Oh? That’s a stink face.”

“What do you know about red chakra?” Sasuke grits out, bargaining on the possibility that this loser actually knows his stuff. The ninjas worst at socializing always seem to be the brightest, hence Itachi the homicidal bastard who ruined everything. Hence Sasuke.

“Red chakra? It’s awfully rare. Unique to the nine-tailed fox alone in these parts, most would say.” The older ninja’s eye seems to have returned to his book, but it doesn’t fool Sasuke one bit. The information was too intelligent for this to be just another deadbeat. It seems as though his predictions were correct.

“The nine-tailed fox is dead.” Sasuke states, not expecting a reaction. The man’s hand holding the book shows no response.

“Hmm.” The stranger otherwise remains silent.

“Isn’t it?” He demands, uncrossing his arms. “They wouldn’t lie about the fox unless they couldn’t kill it. Unless someone like the fourth had to get rid of it with… A seal. They sealed it. But into... Naruto?! Really?” Sasuke finds himself baffled by his own conclusion.

The dark eye in front of him is focused on the book no longer, which gives him enough of an answer he needed in the first place. Sasuke is shell-shocked. How the fuck had none of his classmates-?

Nara. Nara definitely knew. And if Nara knew, there’s a chance that Choji does too. Those sons of bitches.

“So. The kid is finally using the beast’s chakra? That could be troublesome…” Sasuke shakes his head in disbelief at the Jounin’s murmur.

“Why haven’t any of the adults do anything? This is dangerous, why not just train or kill Naruto?”

“The only hazard that kid has posed thus far is eating Ichiraku out of business.” A lazy finger turns the page of the erotic book. Disgusting. “We bring him groceries from time to time. Better than nothing, but the public would be angry if ANBU helped any more.”

“So everyone but us kids know. Our generation.” Pushing his hand through his hair, Sasuke takes a moment to glance at the other adults in the dirty-books section. One man doesn’t seem to have noticed their conversation, but a ginger woman is listening with rapt attention. Her lips are pursed and her eyes narrowed. Obviously not a number one Kyuuzumaki fan, then.

“You didn’t hear it from me.” Bean bag chair guy hums. The woman by the shelf looks seconds away from coming over to give them a piece of her mind so Sasuke leaves. He isn’t scared by civilians but there’s no reason to get scolded by strangers. Usually nobody dares to speak rude to him. This is the only part to appreciate about having no family.

When he walks out of the library, Naruto is asleep under a tree. It doesn’t look planned, more like he just happened to slump down and rest. There’s a notebook in his lap and Sasuke feels justified in snooping through it.

That’s...weird.

Sasuke isn’t sure whether to feel flattered or pissed off that he’s getting stalked again. At least Naruto’s intention doesn’t seem to be the same as the girls who follow him around considering the embarrassing love poem at the bottom of the page.

Naruto stirs and Sasuke places the notebook back in his lap. After a moment he rests the back of his hand against Naruto’s forehead, like he remembers his mom doing when he was a child. Naruto’s skin is warm, but not burning. The pages of the notebook shifted when he put it down and the words prior to the front page look like entries to a diary. Sasuke picks it up again and, after a quick glance around, slides it underneath his shirt.

It could have information about the nine-tails after all.

He leaves Naruto like that under the tree, not guilty about stealing the diary in the slightest. It probably doesn’t even have actual class notes in it, all things considered. Plus, the drawings of Sasuke were bad, the poem pathetic. Better to do him a kindness by using it as fuel for Sasuke’s fireball jutsu.

Knowing Naruto he might actually try and confess to Sakura if left to his own devices.

Sakura is the one with… Pink hair? Blonde? One of the girls who never leaves Sasuke alone, that’s for sure. Maybe that’s why he’s interested in Sasuke, trying to use him so that he can figure out how to woo a girl. Gross.

Or maybe he’s interested in Sasuke because of his intelligence. This idea also makes him want to scoff, forces him remember how smart Itachi was in the academy and how Sasuke still can’t quite manage to live up to the same high expectations. The other kids have no idea what they’re going up against.

His apartment is empty as usual when he arrives, a small one on the border of the Uchiha district. It’s not technically within, since the elder council ruled it might be detrimental to his mental health. The thought that living one or two houses down the block would send Sasuke off the edge is ridiculous. He has a goal in mind, it’s no secret. As long as Itachi lives, Sasuke will train to take the bastard down.

(The last time he walked into his house he had a panic attack in the bushes and spent the night hugging his legs under a nearby tree.)

But for now he busies himself with sliding off his sandals and sweeping off the floor. His neighbors have long stopped trying to bother him, and it was nice to live with silence, for a time.

Sometimes, in his dreams, Sasuke remembers the hustle and bustle of his old neighborhood. He remembers the voices by his window, the late night murmurs and soft footsteps creeping through. Years of distant firework celebrations and quiet laughter from adjacent streets. The dreams about the night Itachi betrayed them are horrible, but the mundane ones about day-to-day life before the betrayal are their own breed of torture.

Tonight is one of the nights that Sasuke accidentally falls asleep on the couch while he waits for his dinner to cool.

He hears his old house, stares longingly at the crack above his old bed that he traced endlessly with his eyes and the crickets outside chirping their slow and rattling song. His mom’s voice is easy to pick out from behind their screen doors. Sasuke can’t quite understand what they’re saying, but her voice is light and soothing and he-

Wakes up in sweat-soaked clothes.

It isn’t comfortable to peel himself up off of the couch and run a bath. The food is cold and unappealing by the time Sasuke finally gets around to eating it, but at least his sleep is uninterrupted the second time.

He doesn’t quite forget about Naruto’s notebook, takes it out and sets it on his dresser to read, but it takes a few weeks before Sasuke decides to delve in.


	2. Chapter 2

The first date is set in January. Naruto’s handwriting is messy, and the entries are difficult to read. Sasuke parses through them in his living room to ensure that no one will see him reading it.

 

_1/12_

_I dunno why Iruka-sensei insists that I start saying more, but he says that ninjas have to write reports so I’ll be the best at that, believe it!_

 

He has to set the journal down and groan at that, already fed up. Fucking Dobe.

 

_2/5_

_Man has this thing collected dust since I last set it down!! Iruka-sensei promised to buy me ramen if I kept writing in it._

_Concentrating has been so hard lately, especially in class. Sometimes I can’t read, I get so fed up of sitting around. Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji and I have been dashing out of the classroom at every opportunity. Iruka-sensei guilts me about it, but lately he’s been nagging me less. I feel bad about how hard his job must be._

_Stupid Sasuke and Neji seem to pick up everything we learn. Even Sakura always knows the answers to whatever is going on. I feel so lost._

_Meh._

_I’m hungry! Last week we had a festival with lots of food stands, but tonight I have milk and ramen for dinner. My mouth is watering._

 

_2/14_

_It’s Valentine’s but Sakura didn’t give me any chocolate, I’m pretty bummed…_

_Actually, no one did…._

_Sasuke got so much chocolate from girls that he just decided to sit somewhere else (AKA right next to me) today. That asshole. Of course, then the girls came over after him and tried to give him the chocolate and he wouldn’t even respond to their advances._

_I felt myself starting to get really mad, especially when Kiba started teasing me about something I said a year ago about getting the most chocolates out of anyone. Lunch was the worst because I had nothing to do except watch everybody exchanging candy and things._

_Wish I could punch that stupid Uchiha in the face._

__

Yeah right, thought Sasuke. You could try.

 

_2/21_

_I showed my journal to Iruka-sensei but he told me that he was too busy to take me out for ramen. Ughhhh._

_I’m soooooo hungry._

 

_2/27_

_I keep falling asleep in class. Shikamaru told me not to steal his thunder, but it’s not like I’m able to ace all of our tests like him. I keep forgetting to buy groceries and I’m too tired to leave the house. All of my clothes are so dirty, it rained and I left them out on the line to dry. This sucks._

 

_3/1_

_Someone new has been bringing me food lately, I think it’s cause I missed class for a couple of days. I hope Iruka-sensei isn’t too mad!_

_I haven’t been able to see them but I know that it’s someone new because the food is different and there’s vegetables in the mix now. Blegh._

 

Does Naruto… not eat vegetables? Sasuke has to rub his eyes. He has a sudden flash of annoyance towards the adults in this village. Naruto probably has scurvy.

 

_3/12_

_I finally caught my mystery grocer! His name is Kakashi and he was reading a book when I walked out of the shower this morning. I told him to stop bringing me gross food and he told me that ninjas have to grow up healthy and strong._

 

_3/20_

_Everyone is visiting graves, I wish I knew if my parents were alive._

 

Ah. Something real.

It’s the first time that Sasuke feels genuine guilt delving into Naruto’s thoughts.

 

_I visited the grave of the fourth hokage but some of the adults cursed at me and threw things. Kakashi got involved when I started to shout back, but he didn’t follow me when I ran away. I think he’s following me._

_I wonder why._

 

_4/3_

_Kakashi is definitely following me. I keep running into him wherever I go. He’s really terrible at being a ninja. At least when I see him he treats me to dinner and things. I still miss Iruka-sensei._

 

_4/19_

_Got into a fight with Kiba today. He pushed me down and I kicked him in the shins but none of the teachers were around so we just kept going. He bit me on the arm but I think I gave him a black eye so I guess we’re even._

 

_4/21_

_Kiba apologized about our fight. I told him it was okay. Iruka-sensei asked about the bandages on my arm but I said they were from training and he didn’t inquire further. The bite marks are starting to look kind of funny, they hurt really bad. Damn dog teeth._

 

_4/27_

_Iruka-sensei made me go to a medi-nin at the hospital so I could get the bite checked out. It’s infected I guess._

 

Looks like Naruto wasn’t paying attention when they went over common battle wounds in class. Unsurprising. Sasuke tries and fails to recall a time where Naruto wore bandages in public.

 

_He didn’t ask any questions but he did buy me dinner afterwards which was cool. Instead of taking me to Ichiraku’s he took me home and cooked me breakfast for dinner. We watched TV and he even showed me a movie that had been one of his favorites as a kid. It was nice._

 

_5/3_

_Today is the anniversary of the Great Village Alliance! This week there’s a festival with lots of foreign people coming in and out. I love festivals because none of the vendors know me and sometimes they give me free stuff._

_I saw a few ninja from the sand village hanging around. One of them looked about my age, but like he hadn’t slept in a long, long time. He had the word ‘LOVE’ painted on his forehead which was HUGE (not the word, his forehead). I don’t get fashion._

 

_5/16_

_Iruka-sensei said that I was starting to outgrow my clothes so he took me to buy some new ones. I found this awesome orange jumpsuit that he tried to talk me out of getting for like twenty minutes, but I bought it with my money (my poor froggy is looking flat.) I also found some cool goggles that I can wear on my forehead until I earn a hitai-ate like the older ninja do._

_Sensei shook his head when he saw me pick them out, but I think he was trying not to smile. I forgot to buy dinner but I’ll just go out and eat a big breakfast somewhere tomorrow to make up for it._

 

_5/22_

_Tried to play with Kiba and Choji but they said their parents still wanted me to stay away._

 

_6/29_

_Sakura-chan punched me in the face today!! I mean, it hurt, but at least she noticed that I was talking about her._

 

_6/30_

_Say, why do all of the girls like Sasuke anyways?_

 

_7/3_

_I’ve been thinking more about why all the girls follow around Sasuke, and I think that it’s because he’s very handsome. All of the elderly women in the village always call him manly or handsome._

_I don’t think it makes sense because some of the younger women call him pretty, and how can a guy be manly if he’s also pretty? He has really long eyelashes and stuff, according to Ino, which is true I guess. But why would girls be after a dude with girly looks?_

_Aaagh! It’s so frustrating. I asked Shikamaru what he thought of Sasuke and he called him ‘cute enough.’ He also told me that I was going to hit puberty late because I was so short, that bastard._

_Sasuke is really tall, maybe that’s why girls like him so much. I hate it because whenever I want to tackle him I have to jump, and he’s gotten better at dodging. Teme._

 

Sasuke finds himself rolling his eyes. This definitely explains why Naruto has been so fond of trying to tackle him lately. Maybe it’s time for Sasuke to tell Shikamaru to knock it off- though, to be fair, Naruto’s tackle-spree hasn’t been bothering him so long as the tackles still fail to land.

 

_7/10_

_Sakura called me a “dumb hazard to all of Konoha village”, which hurt pretty bad. Ino actually put a hold on their rivalry to agree with her and nobody stuck up for me. For a second I thought that Hinata was going to say something, but she just made these weird high-pitched noises and ran to the other side of the room._

_I’m so sick of trying to be friends with everyone. Iruka-sensei can’t be my friend, he’s a teacher, and more like an older brother if anything. Maybe I should just run away._

 

_7/12_

_I’m running away._

_Hear me out!_

_I’ll pack lots of ramen._

_HEAR ME OUT!_

_Sarutobi-sama is busy enough not to notice for a while, and I have the perfect alibi planned so that Iruka-sensei and Kakashi won’t check for at least a day or two. There were some scrolls I got from the library when I snuck in yesterday about the Hidden Village of Whirlpools. They say that it used to be a friend of Konoha’s. I want to go find it._

_I also got a lead from eavesdropping on this ANBU guy the other day. He said there’s a new village, someplace secret. If I can’t figure out where the Whirlpool village is I think I’ll head there. Maybe I can get a fresh new start, someplace nobody from Konoha will ever set foot in._

_...Man… But can I really leave this place?_

_As much as I hate the mean looks and stuff (like the rocks people in the market throw when they’re mad) I love Konoha village. I would die for it!_

_It’s hard because I really love this place. I love it so much it hurts!!! But they probably wouldn’t let me be the Hokage. Everyone tells me to face the facts, and I get that, but I’m supposed to be optimistic._

_Would they really change the rules for me if I became an elite ninja?_

_If it’s the likes of Sakura and Ino running the show someday, I don’t think they’d even consider me as a candidate! Everyone just wants that teme Sasuke…_

_I’m going to give myself a month to think it over. I don’t have to say goodbye forever since I won’t be leaving as a missing nin. Besides, I’d come back someday!_

 

_7/22_

_I can’t do it._

_How can I leave when Iruka-sensei is being so kind and offering to help me with my homework like that? How can I leave when Kakashi brings me groceries and offers to show me how to seal the roof to keep squirrels off at night? How…_

_Actually, I was trying to think of more examples this week, but that was about it. DAMMIT!_

 

_7/28_

_I’ve been sneaking scrolls in from the library in case I decide to go. Right now I’m trying to learn this really hard scroll seal so I can take all of my stuff with me. The librarian caught me the other day and almost put a kunai straight through my neck. What are non-ninja villages like?_

_I’ve never been outside of Konoha, excluding the school field trips we took the surrounding forest. Since I’m especially not allowed in the library right now so I asked Shikamaru for information._

_“Why would you need to know?” He asked me which, okay, stung. I puffed up my cheeks and squinted at Shikamaru with my meanest face. After a few seconds he told me to stop weirding him out and loaned me a book on the other villages. I’m still trying to get through it._

 

_7/31_

_Did you know that the village of the sand is located in the hottest desert known to mankind? Did you know that Konoha is known for being one of the least tolerant villages (alongside Suna) when it comes to “social justice”? Did you know that Shikamaru forgot that he left his own personal notes in the margins of this book? Because he doesn’t!_

_Or, at least, doesn’t care._

_Shikamaru’s notes are the only thing I can really read in here, and not just because his handwriting is nice. They’re all really interesting. Is this what he does outside of class? No wonder he knows so much about stuff!_

_At the back of the book I even found a little bit of information about the sound village (that’s the secret one.) I guess our relationship is tense at the moment, but it’s okay! I don’t have a forehead protector (yet?) so even if I traveled there nobody could peg me for a Konoha resident on sight. I hope._

_Running away is looking better and better since I read this._

_Old man hasn’t been paying me any more mind than usual so I think it’s time to go._

_I know I said I hadn’t decided, but maybe it’s just time to make my move and head out before they don’t let me leave at all. Stupid ninjas always seem to know everything, grr…_

_My stomach has been hurting so much. Or maybe higher, right under my lungs? I mentioned it to a medinin and she told me to drink water so I guess that’s that. Maybe I can ask someone else after I leave._

_It hurts too bad to walk in the morning so I’ve been skipping classes. Iruka-sensei has been too busy prepping for graduation to listen to me complain._

_You see, on one hand I want to graduate. But I also know that once I get the headband I’ll never leave. What happens if they put me on a shitty team because everyone hates me? What happens if I’m assigned desk work for life-_

 

Sasuke has to pause to pinch the bridge of his nose. Just as he suspected, Naruto doesn’t know jack shit about what it means to be kage.

 

_-but they don’t even let me handle secret stuff?_

_I heard Old Man complaining about me in his office the other day. I was sitting on the roof (not one person sensed me, nice! Eight for eight!) and he started calling me a nuisance._

_I don’t want to be a nuisance._

_I’m going to leave. Screw this stupid stomach thing, it’s time for Uzumaki Naruto to hit the road, yeah? Oh boy, I’m kind of terrified and kind of excited? My chest is doing this fast throbbing thing th_

 

_I guess I fell asleep writing this? I woke up on the floor, anyways. My chest aches too bad to talk but it’s okay cause I can write it out!_

_Tomorrow after class I’m hitting the road._

_Goodbye Konoha!!_

_I’ll miss you so much._

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i guess this fic is gonna have occasional art now. heh


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what is going on inside this village? looks like it's up to sasuke to figure out

Sasuke finds himself watching Naruto after that.

To say that he’s baffled would be an understatement. It feels more like finding a scorpion under his sandal than anything, except the scorpion has been nesting under there for four years. The arachnid in question has been clinging to the rubber with its tail raised threateningly ever since a pouty, tiny, blue-eyed boy first wandered into the classroom.

Naruto wasn’t quite as loud back then. Sasuke only realized this after a few days of trying not to think about the journal. He almost burned it using the katon jutsu, only stopping because Iruka-sensei chose that moment to walk by. 

“I didn’t know you could draw,” He said, pointing at where Sasuke had tossed it to the ground. The notebook had folded with its spine facing upwards, baring the doodles of the back pages.

“I don’t,” Sasuke muttered, trying to ignore Iruka-sensei’s perplexed expression.

None of the adults in the village ever told him what they were thinking. It was annoying, especially when he considered how harsh they were when chewing out Naruto. Would Sasuke be a better ninja by now if they had acted just as harsh? 

Sasuke watches from an alley as a fruit vendor goes out of her way to trip Naruto as he strolls by. He scoffs when the other ninja falls for her obvious (and cruel!- a tiny voice in his head shouts after reading that journal- cruel, dammit-!) ploy. 

“I’m so sorry!” Naruto protested loudly from the ground, sheepish grin on his face. His hands rub slowly at the back of his head. 

“Keep out of the street.” The vendor snaps, palming one of her oranges as if she’s tempted to beat him over the head with it. Sasuke’s jaw almost falls in surprise when she turns around and he spots the sticky trap plastered firmly in the center of her back. 

Naruto has already peeled himself up off the dirt and is three stands away. A piece of the woman’s long hair gets caught on the paper and Sasuke makes himself lost before she connects the dots that a nearby shinobi did it to her. 

Idiot Naruto. Idiot Naruto who only had one shit calligraphy paint brush in his apartment the last time Sasuke checked, why didn’t anyone catch onto this? Sticky traps aren’t exactly the most intricate and complex weapon around, but they’re a bitch to make. Time-consuming too.

Sasuke finds himself lurking around the area for an extra hour until the woman gives up on the trap and throws it away with her shirt and a chunk of her hair attached. The Uzumaki swirl at the bottom of that one didn’t exactly leave it up to a mystery as to who came up with the design, but Sasuke looks it over for longer than necessary as he collects his thoughts. The hair is gross, but he ignores it and uses a pencil to copy down the pattern as well as he can without getting his hands stuck to the paper as well. 

It isn’t that Naruto is a little shit, or that Sasuke has any sort of stakes in how people treat him. The fact that the sticky trap is still just as effective, if not more, as when Naruto dished it out hours earlier is, whether Sasuke wants to admit it or not, impressive. Even the traps he’s seen from graduate Konoha shinobi haven’t been this good. 

There’s a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that sings of excitement when Sasuke considers the idea that Naruto could be a secret genius. He can’t help but look at his classmates, all lazy and physically weak, and he wonders who could be a fellow opponent to rival Itachi. When he catches his eyes following Naruto, the idea draws a genuine snort of disbelief.

“Hey, bastard! You makin’ noises at me?” 

The whiskers (Whiskers! Like a fucking fox...) on Naruto’s cheeks scrunch up when he sticks his thumb out at Sasuke. He’s short, boney, malnourished…? And obviously looking to pick a fight he can’t win. The girls who usually follow Sasuke around are over by the fence egging Akamaru and Kiba on as they dig a large hole. Sasuke meets his eyes and gives a deliberate tilt of his head.

“Who taught you Fuinjutsu?” 

Naruto is taken aback by the question, taking a not-so-subtle glance at Sak..Saki and Ino? Sakura? Before his head swivels back to face Sasuke.

“Everything I do is taught by Iruka-sensei or me myself!” His chest puffs up in a way that makes him look like an idiot when he rests his crossed arms on it. It’s not a new sight. 

Sasuke’s palms are clammy when he clenches them, a motion which draws the flick of Naruto’s eyes in an unpleasant show of vigilance. Arms clad in that terrible, baggy, and _orange_ jacket drop to a ready position as he shifts stances, preparing for a non-existent fight. 

“Show me.” The inside of his cheek stings when Naruto’s eyes widen and the edge of his mouth twists into a grin. It’s a rude, smug look, and Sasuke itches to punch it right off of his face.

Naruto’s hands swing up to rest in a comfortable style behind his head. "No way!” 

To be fair to Sasuke it’s been a long time since he's been denied anything that he’s asked for. He doesn’t ask for much, but he remembers the days of begging Itachi to train him, begging for mother to let him practice Katon at night. It’s been years since kids didn’t follow him around and strangers didn’t move from his path in a show of respect. 

Embarrassing or not to admit, it chafes Sasuke’s ego the instant Naruto refuses. Bothers him enough that he resorts to underhanded measures. 

He understands blackmail in an intimate way. Knows that it’s a vital tool to reach upper levels. Knows that a great ninja would never be caught by it, would always find a way around the circumstance.

Luckily, Naruto isn’t even decent at playing shinobi.

“Show me or I’ll tell the Hokage you plan to skip town.” 

There are moods which change like a candle being blown out, or ripples in a pond. Sasuke didn’t know what to expect from letting loose the threat, but the instant look of heartbreak Naruto levels his way makes him want to stagger back a step. 

He looks crushed, crushed in a way that he doesn’t even resemble after a day of getting chewed out or thrashed in spars. Sasuke knows this. He’s been following Naruto around these past couple weeks, he knows exactly how much territory that level of fierce determination claims.

“Old man won’t believe you,” Naruto stammers out, and Sasuke schools his expression into an impassive glare until Naruto gets over the lump in his throat enough to gasp and point in his direction. “-You were the one who took my notebook! Bastard!”

“Adults always believe me,” And maybe that wasn’t the best thing to start with because now Naruto is glaring at him like he really wants to make Sasuke die so he dials it back a notch and rests a hand on his hip. “It doesn’t matter how I found out. You’ll teach me what you know or I’ll tell.”

“That’s not fair!” His voice catches in a whine as he leans closer and Sasuke glances around, taking note that the kids by the fence have begun to take interest. He pulls Naruto closer by the front of his shirt and cringes when he bares his sharp canines in a… Snarl? The fuck?

Sasuke lets go of Naruto an instant before he stomps down on his foot. He grits his teeth through the pain and keeps his voice low as he speaks in a neutral tone.

“The front of the Uchiha complex. Meet me there alone tonight. Or else.” Naruto braces his hands in front of him like he’s about to shove Sasuke away, so he takes a couple steps back and allows himself a brief smirk. The scowling expression he receives in turn is more than worth the slight throb in his foot. 

He turns, confident that his point has been made, but a shift in the air behind him makesSasuke turn back the instant before Naruto leaps and tackles him to the ground. He shoves at Naruto’s hands, kicking out with his feet as they go tumbling.

Shouts erupt around them as Naruto drives his fist straight into Sasuke’s cheek. Sasuke feels his head snap to the side, and he turns it back to stare in surprise at the wavering expressions of hurt and anger on Naruto’s face. 

“Stupid bastard! Threatening me when you’re just some lousy thief.” 

He finds his body itching for a fight as he bucks his hips and rolls over Naruto, shoving his jaw down into the dirt. Naruto’s hands lash out, jabbing Sasuke in his inner elbow and arm. Shadows dip down over his face as kids surround them in a loose circle, but Sasuke is fixated on pinning Naruto’s feet with his ankles and grinding his hand into his soft (scarred? Or are they whiskers?) cheek.

“Let me go! Let me go!” He shouts, thrashing with desperation upon each word. One of the young ninja behind Sasuke nudges his shoulder forwards as if to urge him to seek revenge for the attack. He loosens his hold on Naruto and turns. 

Iruka-sensei is one of the adults fighting through the throng of bodies to get to them. His face is plastered with annoyance and, oddly enough, fear. Sasuke is just about to stand and wander over cooly to receive his fate when he jerks back just in time to avoid another fist to the face.

“Naruto!” Iruka shouts in shock as Naruto clambers onto Sasuke again, flashing over to wrestle the ball of orange back. Sasuke sits up, raising his eyebrows in shock when blue eyes flicker red for a moment in a sharingan-like fashion. Naruto goes limp and attempts to spit onto Sasuke where he is on the ground. 

He wipes the wetness off his arm and allows his nose to scrunch up. The nine tails, it must be. That’s the only explanation as to why the adults monitor Naruto’s outbursts so heavily. 

It takes a few minutes of brushing himself off and stubborn silence to the cries of his worried fangirls before Sasuke is led by another teacher back to the classroom. Naruto is standing  in front of the chalkboard with his shoulders hunched together, an obvious sign of guilt as Iruka-sensei chews him out.

“And fighting when you barely pay attention in class in the first place! I can’t believe you would- Sasuke, why don’t you come in?” The softening of Iruka’s face from its stern counterpart is enough to make Sasuke shudder. Teachers aren’t supposed to be scary, but this one’s rage might be.

He walks inside, sandals echoing across the planks of the wooden floor. Naruto doesn’t look up, although his mouth tightens and his head ducks further down. Does he even know about the fox demon?

“Sasuke. I need you tell me exactly what happened.” Iruka-sensei tilts his head and crosses his arms. For a moment, he considers ratting Naruto out. Nrauro could get chided even further, or possibly kicked out. 

But neither of those options would help Sasuke observe him or figure out why he has a demon sealed inside him or budding talents as a rookie ninja. 

“I asked Naruto if he would wrestle with me and it got out of hand.” It takes extreme control not to glance over as the blond head whips up in surprise in his side view. As it is, Iruka scans them both in obvious confusion. 

“You asked Naruto. To wrestle with you. Honestly?” Sasuke nods and Iruka-sensei exhales, pinching the bridge of his nose. He notes, with relief, that Sensei appears to have relaxed significantly. 

“That’s-” Naruto begins, and Sasuke takes the opportunity to cut him off. 

“Exactly what happened.” _Idiot._ Iruka mulls over the new information for a long moment, in which Sasuke can feel both himself and Naruto holding their breaths. 

“Well, I suppose if you’re not seriously hurt. But let’s save the fights for during class-time only. Okay?” 

Sasuke nods and, after a slow exhale, so does Naruto. Iruka-sensei’s eyes linger on the latter, his mouth twitching up with a not-so-hidden smile. Naruto seems too focused on Sasuke to notice, eyes wrinkled with a suspicious air.

Even after Sasuke turns to head back to his usual seat, he can feel Naruto’s gaze smoldering the back of his head. The gaze follow him for the rest of the day, excluding the moment when all of the other kids trickle in from lunch and crowd around to ask if he’s okay. 

They all act so hostile towards Naruto, the sigh of it keeps Sasuke from rubbing the mark on his face. Something tells him that any reminder of the punch could turn Naruto’s world into one consisting of even more insults and bullying. Sasuke was aware that he himself was the martyr of the class for some stupid reason but Holy shit. Not to this extent. 

He doesn’t hesitate to shoulder his bag and leave the room as soon as class ends. It was impossible to focus today with himself as everybody’s target entertainment and Naruto’s notebook burning a hole in his bag. 

Sasuke notices the presence above him about a minute into his walk back to the Uchiha compound and he glances up to see the mysterious ninja from the library sitting on the roof of an old building. Although he can’t see the shinobi’s mouth due to his mask, the squint in his eye and the hand raised to wave gives the impression of a cheerful smile. The shinobi is still clutching a pornographic book in his left hand.

Pausing for a moment, Sasuke waits to see if the visit has any significance. The shinobi simply turns a page and crouches down, once again acting invested in his book. Sasuke turns his back to the ninja with great reluctance, and fights the itch of paranoia as he continues on his way. There is no reason for him to be watched or followed. So why does it feel that way?

Like any other day, there is nobody waiting at the worn gate separating the empty buildings from the rest of the village. Moss has began creeping up the smooth posts, and Sasuke makes a note to come clean it off in the morning. 

He’s just passed under the threshold when a cracking noise of a branch sounds from behind him, and Sasuke turns to see Naruto red-faced and out of breath. 

“Stop.” He demands, stepping forwards before Naruto can cross the invisible line marking the boundary of the Uchiha gate. 

Naruto throws his hands up in an indignant fashion, stepping as close as he’s able. He faces Sasuke with a few feet in-between. “What do you want from me?! I came.”

“Obviously, loser.” Sasuke inclines his chin when Naruto’s fists tighten, and thinks about the mark on his cheek. He makes another attempt. “You might be a dead last, but you draw interesting seals. Show me.”  

He crosses his arms as Naruto gives him a wary look, moving his feet back. 

“And if I do show you, you won’t tell Old Man about my journal. Right?” 

Sasuke nods and pulls out his journal, tossing it over in a show of good faith. Naruto fumbles with the catch, but clutches it in a tight hug to his chest. His eyes dart over at where Sasuke tilts his head expectantly. 

“...Okay, fine. But if you get good at seals, just know that it’ll be because of me! Naruto, the next Hokage.” 

His face is caught in a pout, but he moves to walk in. Sasuke stops Naruto with a sudden hand to his chest without thinking and watches as his eyes startle open.

“Not tonight. I have things to do.” The excuse rolls off his tongue as he remembers the ninja surveying him from the roof earlier. There aren’t keeping many secrets in a town full of shinobi, but somehow what he’s doing with Naruto feels as though it should be kept discreet.

Naruto, obviously not picking up on this, gives a loud groan of annoyance. “Sasuke-bastard! Of course you would make this more difficult than it has to be.”

“I’ll tell you when we’re going to meet. Go home, dumbass.” He gives Naruto a light push where his hand rests on his chest and ignores the way the feeling lingers on his fingers.

Pulling down his eye and sticking out his tongue to make a rude expression, Naruto spins around and begins stomping away. He’s muttering obscenities loudly, but nowhere in the static is there a hint that he won’t show up if told. Sasuke considers this a successful blackmailing. 

His thoughts wander back to the fight from earlier that day as he turns and inspects the moss on the gate yet again. Why were the other kids so out for blood? And why did Naruto agree to tutor him so easily?

The sun has dipped lower over the neat speckling of houses lining the street. It casts purple shadows over the alleyways, highlighting the discoloration of where white paint was plastered over cream to hide stains of blood. 

Sasuke’s footsteps are silent as he makes his way towards the unfamiliar building he has grown to call home. Home is next door, but this could be home. The light settles as he reaches the porch, but he refuses to take a last look now that the buildings reflect a dark, nightmarish blue tint. A familiar blue tint. He pulls off his sandals and feels a great weight lift off his shoulders as he calls out to himself.

“I’m home.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank y'all for your continued support and patience!
> 
> i know this turned into an unplanned summer hiatus, but between juggling my internship and my funky mental health i was having a bit of a rough time. i'm doing much better now and i hope you're ready for some fun updates!
> 
> as always, my fic tumblr is saucefx. feel free to ask questions or swing by :)


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